Adjustable rail-joint bar



- B. G. BRAINE.

ADJUSTABLE RAIL JOINT BAR. APPLICATION men SPT- 24, I920.

1 ,36 1 ,8 1 8, Patented Dec. 14, 1920.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1- Qwwwtoz B; GBraine,

B. G. BRAINE.

ADJUSTABLE RAIL JOINT BAR.

APPLICATION FILED sEPT.24. 1920.

Patented Dec. 14, 1920.

'2 SHEETS-SHEET 2- 1 I r I ,B. GLBraine /r-:ss/zs.- I w fl UNITED STATESPATENT OFFICE.

BAN CROFT G. BRAINE, OF MONTCLAIR, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO THE RAILJOINT COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

ADJUSTABLE RAIL-JOINT BAR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 14, 1920.

7 Application filed September 24, 1920. Serial No. 412,558.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, BANOROFT G. BRAINE, a citizen of the United States,residing at Montclair, in the county of Essex and State of New Jersey,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in AdjustableRail-Joint Bars, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to rail joint bars, particularly of thecontinuous type, and has special reference to improvement therein foradapting a joint bar of given section to fit rail bases of differentdepth or thickness.

Owing to the variations in the cross sectional dimensions of the basesof rails of diflerent types and weight, but having the same depth offishing space, it is proposed, in order to utilize the same fishingmember of the given bar section, to provide a novel form of baseconstruction, whereby the extreme range in the bull-dozing operationwill be greatly increased to thus permit of the base being given a finalset within comparatively wide limits to adapt the same to differentthicknesses of rail base, and also to slight variations in the slope ofthe flange surface of the rail.

By providing a construction that enables the range of the bull-dozingoperation to be increased many joints may be obtained with differentbases while the other features of the bar remain unchanged, therebygreatly simplifying and economizing rolling operations by reducing thenumber of sections in the rolls to a minimum.

Heretofore, it has been the practice to roll the base of continuousjoint bars in such a manner as to necessitate different passes in theroll to obtain the varying heights ofthe strut member or that portionwhich connects the flange of the bar to the base. After the sections arerolled in accordance with this practice, the joint bar is bull-dozed tofit thebase of the particular rail. The present invention, however,involves a distinct departure from that practice in the respect that itis proposed to make the conformation of the strut portion and the toesuch as to permit of displacing the base of the rail in the bull-dozingoperation to a greater extent than heretofore possible and also to placethe spiking toe in proper plane with reference to the base of the bar,thereby permitting the adjustment of the base part gf the bar to aparticular thickness of rail ase.

Aside from the foregoing general objects, other objects will appear asthe description of the invention proceeds, and by reference to theaccompanying drawings it will be seen that Figure 1 is a cross sectionalview of the continuous joint bar as it emerges from the final roll passof the mill.

Fig. 2 is a cross sectional view of the bar of Fig. 1 after thebull-dozing operation, ap-

' plied to a rail sectionf the dotted lines indicating a rail of smallersection and the bar adjusted thereto.

Fig. 3 is a view of a modification showing a form of the invention whichis a practical form for the rolling operation.

Figs. 4 and 5 respectively, are views showing variations of forms whichmay be adopted in embodying the improvement in the base portion of abase supporting type of rail joint bar. N

Similar reference numerals designate corresponding parts throughout theseveral figures of the drawings.

The desirability of adapting rolled joint bars of standard design tomeet difi'eren't rail sections, by bull-dozing or equivalent operations,has the well knownadvanta-ge of utilizing a special or particular bar tomeet dilferent rail sections without the necessity of providing separateand expensive sets of rolls. And it' is primarily the object of thepresent invention to further ,iincrease the range of utility of joint.barisections .produced by a standard set of rolls, by definitelysub-dividing the/base of the bar into an inwardly extending base portionand an outwardly extending spiking toe, both merging into a, strutmember and separately hinging thereon to ermit of the adjustment of bothto suit t e particular rail to be fitted.

By reference to the accompanying drawings it will be seen that thecontinuous'joint bar C includes the upright fishing member 1, head 2,and foot flange 3, which terminates in the upright strut po'rtion' l,connecting the base member 6, and spiking toe 5.

As previously pointed out, the distinctive feature of the invention isthe provision of adapted to fit rails having different thicknesses ofbase. And, to permit of the ad justment of the base member and of thetoe member by bull-dozing or otherwise, without disturbing the positionof the strut member or any other part of the bar, a compensating groove7 is channeled at the bottom of the strut member (in the rollingoperation) be tween the base member and the toe member. The depth ofthis groove or channel corresponds to the range of adjustment intendedfor the base member and for the toe member, and, as shown in Fig. 2,provides an attenuation forming a hinging neck 8 between the base memberand the strut, and a hinging neck 9 between the said toe member and thestrut. By focusing the bending movement of the said members 5 and 6 atthe hinging points or necks 8 and 9, each of such members can be movedupwardly and outwardly from such points to bring them into final railand tie engaging position without movement of the strut member or of thefoot flange of the bar connecting therewith.

By reference to Fig. 2, it will be seen that the full line position ofthe base member and toe member of the bar shows the relative position ofthese members when the bar is fitted to a rail having a relatively thickbase, while the dotted lines in this figure show the position of thebase and toe when they are pressed upwardly and outwardly at theirhinging necks to fit a rail having a base of relatively shallow depth.In connection with the range of movement of the base and toe members itwill be noted that the same may be moved from their initial positions,that is, the positions they assume when leaving the final roll pass, toa relatively horizontal position, parallel with the rail base, until thechannel or groove 7 is obliterated. Between these relative limits itwill be apparent that many thicknesses of rail base may be accommodated,thus permitting the use of the other standard features of the barwithout change.

To illustrate the range of modification that may be resorted to incarrying out the invention, reference is made to Figs. 3, 4; and 5 ofthe drawings. In all of these modifications a somewhat differentrelation of the base and toe members to the so-called strut member isshown. However, a primary feature of the invention resides in providinga reentrant channel or groove designated by the numeral '7, between thebase member and the toe member to locate a hinging point for these twomembers. In the form of construction shown in Figs. 1 and 2 of thedrawings, the groove or rentrant channel 7 is shown as being located inthe base of the strut, and while that form of the invention has itspractical advantages, itwill be observed that the construction shown inFig. 3 of the drawings also permits the adjustment of the base memberand of the toe member, to adapt them to the tie seating surface and tothe particular rail base, without disturbing the position of the flangeof the bar. Furthermore, in the form shown in Fig. 3,-the base member ofthe bar and the toe member are so related, initially, as to make a verydesirable rolling proposition, since the said members in the positionshown, may readily be formed in the passes of the rolls and subsequentlybull dozed to the desired positions as indicated by the full and dottedlines. Referring to the structural characteristics of the modificationshown in Fig. 3, the so-called strut member 4i, is continued directlyinto the base member and the toe member offset laterally from the partof the bar where the flange merges into the so-called strut member. Thisrelation of the parts produces a well defined reentrant groove orchannel designated by the numeral 7 and which serves to provide thehinge point abovereferred to for both the base member and the toemember.

Except for the toe member joining the socalled. strut member at anintermediate point, the modification of Fig. 1 embodies the samestructural and functional features as the construction shown in Fig. 3.

The modification shown in Fig. 5 is merely a reversal of the ideapresented in Figs. 3 and 4, viz: in having the so-called strut memberextending outwardly into the toe member and the base member joining theso-called strut member at the inner side thereof below the flange. Inthe said modification of Fi 5, a reentrant groove or channel 7, isformed in the metal between the base member and toe member to providethe hinging point referred to.

W hile special emphasis has been placed on the utility of the inventionin its application to different weights of rail having the same fishingspace, it will of course be understood that the invention is animprovement in-the base part of a joint of the rail base supporting typeand is applicable to step or compromise joints.

\Vithout further description it is thought that the many features andadvantages of the invention will be readily apparent to those skilled inthe art and it will, of course, be understood that changes in the form,proportion and minor details of construction may be resorted to in thespirit of the invention and scope of the appended claims.

I claim: 1

1. A rail joint bar having adjustable base and toe members. 1

2. A. rail joint bar having separately adjustable base and toe members.

3. A. rail joint bar having a fixed fishing member and strut, andadjustable base and toe members connecting with the strut.

4:. A rail joint, bar having a fixed fishing member and strut, and anadjustable base member having an integral hinging connection with thestrut.

5. A rail joint bar having a fixed fishin member and strut, andadjustable base an toe members, each connecting with the strut by anattenuated neck.

6. A rail joint bar having a fixed fishing member and strut, andadjustable base and toe members connecting with the strut, said barhaving a groove in the base of the strut between the base and toemembers producing hinging points for the latter.

I. A rail joint bar having a body of metal projecting from its fishingmember, two flange members projecting respectively from opposite sidesof said body of metal, and a depression in the base of said body ofmetal forming attenuations ad'acent the point of union between the saidange members.

8. A rail joint barv having a base member, a toe member and a reentrantgroove or channel formed between said two members to produce hingingpoints for the same.

In testimony whereof I hereunto aflix my signature in the presence oftwo witnesses.

E. K. KERsHNER, C. A. DISBROW.

